-LRB- EW -RRB- -- `` Doom '' may have flopped , and `` Scott Pilgrim vs. the World '' may have been all buzz and no buck , but Disney 's `` Wreck-It Ralph '' proved that there is a place for videogame-themed movies at the box office this weekend .

The $ 165 million animated film topped the chart with $ 49.1 million out of 3,752 theaters -- the strongest debut ever for a Walt Disney Animation production -LRB- i.e. , not including Pixar titles -RRB- . Disney 's `` Tangled '' opened with a whopping $ 48.8 million over the more lucrative Thanksgiving weekend in 2010 , so `` Wreck-It Ralph 's '' slightly larger bow -LRB- and its hefty $ 13,086 per theater average -RRB- should be viewed as a major victory for the Mouse House .

Now the studio is looking ahead not only to Thanksgiving , but Christmas as well , both huge moviegoing seasons since kids are out of school and parents are off of work .

`` There really are few things for families in the time between now and then , '' says Dave Hollis , Disney 's Executive Vice President of Domestic Distribution , who cites DreamWorks ' `` Rise of the Guardians '' and Disney 's own 3-D re-release of `` Monsters , Inc. '' as the only animated competition for the rest of 2012 . '' -LSB- We -RSB- have great word-of-mouth and a story that resonates , '' Hollis says . `` We feel really good about where we 're headed for the rest of this run . ''

Disney has every right to feel good . `` Wreck-It Ralph '' earned an `` A '' CinemaScore grade from polled audiences , and very positive reactions will help the film hold up even better than a typical family film would anyway .

The Robert Zemeckis-directed drama `` Flight '' soared in second place with $ 25 million from just 1,884 theaters , giving the $ 31 million Paramount film the strongest per theater average in the Top 20 , with $ 13,275 .

For star Denzel Washington , one of the few actors working today who can legitimately be called a box office draw , `` Flight '' marks his second hit of 2012 . His last picture , `` Safe House , '' opened in February with $ 40.2 million on the way to a $ 126.2 million finish .

While it remains to be seen whether `` Flight '' will fly that high , a finish above $ 100 million certainly seems likely given the film 's strong reviews , awards buzz and `` A - '' CinemaScore grade . Fellow adult-targeting drama `` Argo '' opened substantially lower -LRB- with $ 19.8 million -RRB- in substantially more theaters -LRB- 3,232 to be exact -RRB- , and , as you 'll read in a moment , is headed past the $ 100 million mark thanks to slim declines . With better per-theater averages and room for expansion , `` Flight '' should enjoy a similar fate .

Speaking of `` Argo , '' the Ben Affleck-helmed thriller finished in third place in its fourth weekend , dropping only 15 percent to $ 10.2 million -LRB- anytime a film is still in double digits after four frames , you know it 's clicking with crowds -RRB- . That lifts its total to $ 75.9 million . Warner Bros. ' $ 45 million investment is proving to have been a smart one -- the film is earning massive Oscar buzz and will pass the $ 100 million mark in the next few weeks . That last Ben Affleck vehicle to gross $ 100 million was 2003 ′ s `` Daredevil , '' which earned $ 102.5 million . Welcome back , Affleck !

The martial arts picture `` The Man with the Iron Fists '' debuted in fourth place with $ 8.2 million -- certainly not a knockout result , but in line with studio expectations considering American audiences have never consistently taken to flying daggers and karate chops . Fortunately , Universal spent only $ 15 million on the film , which was directed by RZA .

The studio boasted producer Quentin Tarantino 's name heavily in advertising , but audiences , which were 64 percent male and 53 percent below the age of 30 , did n't take the bait . Those that did see the film were n't especially enthusiastic and issued `` Fists '' a `` C + '' CinemaScore grade .

Rounding out the top five was `` Taken 2 , '' which fell 22 percent in its fifth frame to $ 6 million and has now grossed $ 125.7 million in North America . Though Fox 's $ 45 million sequel will finish a tad below the original `` Taken 's '' $ 145 million domestic finish , it has more than made up for that fact overseas , where `` Taken 2 '' has grossed $ 210.8 million -LRB- the original `` Taken '' found $ 81 million internationally -RRB- . All told , the Liam Neeson picture has grossed a tremendous $ 336.6 million worldwide .

1 . `` Wreck-It Ralph '' -- $ 49.1 million

2 . `` Flight '' -- $ 25.0 million

3 . `` Argo '' -- $ 10.2 million

4 . `` The Man with the Iron Fists '' -- $ 8.2 million

5 . `` Taken 2 '' -- $ 6.0 million

The biggest story at the box office this weekend , however , does n't have anything to do with the domestic chart . `` Skyfall , '' the 23rd James Bond picture , grossed an incredible $ 156 million this weekend internationally , giving it a remarkable 10-day total of $ 287 million -- by far the best ever initial numbers for the Bond franchise . For perspective , `` Quantum of Solace , '' which finished with $ 417 million internationally , did n't achieve that total until its fourth week of release .

`` Skyfall 's '' best market was once again the United Kingdom , where it fell only 21 percent in its second frame to $ 25.7 million , good for an $ 85.8 million total . The film 's top new market was Germany , where it earned $ 23.9 million -- the best opening of 2012 in that country .

`` Skyfall '' debuts in the U.S. next weekend , and taking into account how engaged the rest of the world seems to be by the film -LRB- and taking into account its glowing reviews -RRB- , it 's looking increasingly likely that `` Skyfall '' will score the best debut ever for a Bond film -- perhaps in the $ 80 million range .

See the full story at EW.com .

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Disney 's `` Wreck-It Ralph '' topped the box office with $ 49.1 million

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`` Wreck-It '' had the strongest debut ever for a Disney Animation production

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`` Flight '' was No. 2 with $ 25 million

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Arriving at No. 3 was Ben Affleck 's `` Argo ''